Jags earn No. 2 seed in PBC East, host PBC Quarterfinal Feb. 28
AIKEN, S.C. – The Augusta Jaguars won their fourth game in a row to close out the regular-season with a 90-86 Peach Belt Conference overtime victory on the road at rival USC Aiken Wednesday night.
- PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING (Augusta v. USC Aiken, Feb. 13, 2016)
Augusta (16-10, 12-7 PBC) junior Keshun Sherrill hit two three pointers under a minute and USCA (6-20, 4-15 PBC) answered at the regulation buzzer to force overtime.
Sherrill hit his fourth trey of the game in OT to tie the game 82-all after the Pacers took a lead at the beginning of the half. Freshman Deane Williams and senior Trevor Foreman got to the free throw line in the closing minute and the Jags survived for the win.
Augusta earned the No. 2 seed in the PBC East Division and will host the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 4:00 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
In the regular season, the Jags went 7-4 on the road and 9-6 at home in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
Sherrill led the team with 24 points and senior Tommy Williams contributed 23 points and nine rebounds. D. Williams had 11 points and three boards, while freshman Ben Ursich grabbed six boards with six points.
Both teams showed strong shooting from field goal range with Augusta shooting 55.4 percent to the Pacers' 53.4 percent. The Jags outrebounded USCA 33-28, but got outscored in the paint 46-38. Each team had 20 points off turnovers, but the Jags had 25 bench points to the Pacers' zero.
Augusta trailed first to the Pacers in the teams' second meeting of the year, but they took their first lead on freshman Ben Ursich's jumper with 16:24 in the first half. It was a one-point game for the next four possessions until USCA built back a seven-point advantage.
A Tommy Williams jumper pushed the Jags back up by one and Augusta remained up and took a halftime lead 38-34. Augusta shot over 60 percent for the majority of the first half and took the break with a 57.1 field-goal percentage.
The Jags didn't relinquish their halftime lead until under three minutes.
Freshman Tyvez Monroe buried an uncontested three pointer next to Augusta's bench for a 61-54 lead, but the Jags were called for a technical foul that resulted in the Pacers eventually creating a one-point game with back-to-back Arbry Butler dunks.
USCA tied the game on a pair of free throws under two minutes at 71-all. The Jags drew a foul on the next trip down the floor and T. Williams canned a free throw for a one-point lead.
Augusta gave up their first lead since halftime with USCA taking a 74-72 lead on an and-one play where Emu Hendrix hit a jumper and the free throw after he was fouled. Senior Trevor Foreman found Sherrill for a go-ahead three pointer with 42 seconds in the game, but the Pacers got back to the free-throw line in the next possession.
Teams answered jumpers under five seconds in regulation to force overtime and the Jags outscored USCA 12-8 in OT for the win.
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